FIBA ASIA 2013 has been going on for 10 days now. It started last August 1 and will end tomorrow, August 11, 2013. the good thing about it is it’s held here in my beloved Philippines!

I was on the afternoon shift today and what I dislike about it is the fact that I missed thedo or die game between the Korean National Team and the Philippine National Team best known as “GILAS PILIPINAS”. I became glad when I found out that some of my patients admitted in private rooms and their relatives were tuned in to the game so whenever I go inside their rooms to check for their vital signs ( two of them were monitored hourly) I get to have a glimpse of what’s going on in the game. If only I can just sit with them to cheer for Gilas, I definitely will! 😀

The game ended few minutes before the endorsement and the nursing aide and I asked the charge nurse if we can open the TV on the vacant room and what I saw almost made me cry. That was the last 1:34 minutes left in the game and the Philippines is up by 5 points if I remember it correctly. They say in basketball, “bilog ang bola” and a lot of things can still happen within 1 minute but then there’s this gut feeling that the game is ours. I know a lot of Filipinos prayed hard for the game today and the Mall of Asia Arena is buzzing with cheers and screams from the crowd so when the buzzer went off to signal the end of the game, the Philippines became one happy nation. United. One Goal. One Reason. Gilas won with a score of 86-79. We’re on to the finals, baby! plus the World Cup in 2014!! I remember Magoo ( game analyst) saying ” and the Philippines is back in the world map of basketball” (if that was not his exact words, well that’s the gist of what he said :D)

Korea was one tough team to beat considering the fact that they’re bigger than our players and was like our country’s mortal enemy in basketball based on the previous games played against each other to which our national team always lost (Yes, the curse of Korea has been broken!). This, game was like a sweet redemption since it was made in our own soil and in front of lots of our countrymen.

I guess everyone who witnessed it cried the tears of joy (even I cried when I watched the replay..I’m such a cry baby) and the emotions were all over the place. It’s so touching to watch the players hug and congratulate one another.

The feeling is overwhelming and I just can’t let this end without sharing this joy I’m feeling. Seeing how our players played their hearts out. Showing the people the #PUSO that they have for the game and for winning it for us. Ang Pilipino buong PUSO kung lumaban, and that’s what GILAS PILIPINAS proved us tonight.

Hats off to all the players!! I will never be tired of saying “LABAN PILIPINAS!, PUSO!”